Wednesday, September 27, 2006

I'm so elusive these days, I know. Apart from a delightful trip to Florence to try on clothes in Zara, rather than looking at paintings of naked cherubim, and eating yummy fruit the size of my head, I haven't been up to much. But alas, my interpipe connection is extremely poorly, nay in a critical condition, and swapping to a new ISP is going to take about a month.

In the meantime a huge backlog of emails and messages are building up and it's all very vexing. But some not so good news, I've just found out that my new new book, the first volume in a four part series, won't be out in the UK until July 2007. Ignore what it says on UK Amazon. Let's Get Lost is still out in the US and Canada at the end of this October and you can pre-order it on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.

One last thing before I'm cruelly cut off. Katie on MySpace I did get your message but then it disappeared and I completely agree with you about the DOAC thing but don't tell anyone that I did. And also, MySpace peeps, if you send me a message I can't reply to it or add you to my friends list if your MySpace is set up so you don't accept messages or adds from people who aren't your friends. Just so you know!

And yes, I did enjoy Little Miss Sunshine (didn't love it, but I'm all about the beauty pageants!)

Saturday, September 09, 2006

My interpipe connection is wigging out in a quite spectacular fashion, while my broadband is upgraded. It's a cause of much vexation. So I'm going to post this in one of the rare seconds when I am actually online.

It's actually probably quite good that I can't while away many hours on the internet as I'm going to Florence for a little holiday the week after next and have made myself a solemn vow that I will have the first draft of the second book in the series (that I still can't tell you anything about) finished. By the way, does anyone know how to say, "I have a severe allergy to mustard" in Italian?

In the meantime, the current issue of British ELLE has an interview I did with Drew Barrymore and another interview of mine with Jonathan Rhys Meyer, if you're desperate for a Manning fix!

So, I haven't done this for a while but I thought I'd share a few of my favourite current things.

I'm listening to…

The Kids At The Club a superb indie pop compilation that you should all go out and buy. Right the hell now. I particularly love Lucky Soul, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names and Irene and I'm sure you will too!

I'm watching…

Bones which is a slightly icky series about a forensic anthropologist who does revolting things with decomposed remains to find out how they died. It stars David Boreanaz who I never fancied in the slightest in all my years watching Buffy and Angel but I will admit to the teensiest crush on him in this show. A word of warning: not to be watched while you're eating dinner.

I'm reading…

Fabulous Nobodies by Lee Tulloch – actually I'm re-reading it for the gazillionth time. I read this book years ago about a girl who has a closet full of fabulous vintage frocks who talk to her. She works as a door whore in New York, has a gay best friend and a crush on a suave man who also dresses beautifully. OK, it's not War And Peace but it's a really special book that languished in obscurity but has now been reissued. British girls, you'll have to order it from Amazon because it's only been re-issued in the States. (I love it so much that for years I'd buy up copies on eBay to give to my friends!

And that's the current state of me.

As ever, the disclaimer that I'm now adding to tbe bottom of every post: No more Diary Of A Crush books, like, ever!

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Ah, the sun is but a dim and distant memory; it's grey and cold and all the delicious new autumn fashions are in the shops. Hurrah!

Because I spend most of my time in front of dark!Wes, my computer, I tend to live in jeans and a collection of faded logo retro tees but I'm coveting and even buying some fabulous frocks at the moment. And slouchy boy trousers. And I'm still loving polka dots and always will. In other style news, I have decided to stop straightening my hair after many years and I'm learning to love my curls.

On the writing front, I'm two thirds of the way through the first draft of the second book in my new series. It's still known as Untitled Sarra Manning series but I hope to be able to give you all the juicy details in a few weeks. I'm also doing a lot of freelance writing at the moment, mainly because I had a humungous tax bill come through and I want to go to New York in October and do some serious damage in the Marc by Marc Jacobs shop on Bleecker Street. Alas, his beautiful main range is too rich for my tastes.

I'm getting a lot of email requests for biographical information for school projects. Everything you need to know, or that I'm happy for you to know(!), is out there on the interpipe. Just type "sarra manning" (don't forget the speech marks) into a google search and you should find everything you could ever want to know. Except my age, my weight and my secret fears. A girl has to retain some mystery!

Also, I am obsessed with the new Scissor Sister single. But I always feel like dancing – especially when no-one else is watching…

As ever, the disclaimer that I'm now adding to tbe bottom of every post: No more Diary Of A Crush books, like, ever!

This is the official blog of Sarra Manning, writer of Guitar Girl, Pretty Things, Let's Get Lost. the Fashionistas series, Nobody's Girl and the Diary Of A Crush trilogy. Also, Unsticky, Sarra's first novel for grown-up girls.
This blog will have regular postings from Sarra, answers to your questions, sneak previews of her forthcoming projects, competitions and a lot of ranting and raving about her current obsessions from Glee to obscure female Swedish singers and everything in between.

Le temps sont durs pour le rêveurs...

I write tawdry teen fiction and articles about fashion, celebrity and zeitgeisty trends. I wear Old Navy, Dorothy Perkins and Marc Jacobs. I was born 50 years too late and 50 years too soon. I have a rich, inner life. I live in London and on my wits. And I'm softer than my face would suggest...
But there are some things you need to know about me:
1. There will never be any more books in the Diary Of A Crush trilogy. READ THE DIARY OF A CRUSH LABELS BELOW TO FIND OUT WHY!
2. I can't reply to your messages if you don't have an active blogspot so I can leave comments.
3. My blog has all my latest news, including book releases. Also there are writing tips ALSO LABELLED BELOW!
4. If you're doing a book report, then Google is your friend. Just search my name. On the first page of your search, you will find pretty much everything you need.
Hope I don't sound too cranky, but as well as the book-writing, I'm a jobbing journalist and I hate to have a backlog of unanswered emails.